The report is based on public data obtained from the Fourth District Court and the MPD Office of Public Information. Volunteers obtained public data for all bicycle-related citations and arrests during the six-year timespan.

The arrest data suggest that it is highly probable that Black bicyclists in Minneapolis face greater threats of police stops than do white bicyclists, especially for minor infractions such as riding on the sidewalk or without lights. Although each stop started with a bicycle-related offense, 15 percent of stops resulted in charges and outcomes more severe than a citation for bicycle violations alone.

Prior to September 2016, the MPD did not track the race and/or ethnicity of people receiving citations, but arrest records from the Computer Assisted Police Records System (CAPRS) did. The report reveals that arrestees were almost exclusively male (96 percent) and 48 percent of arrestees were Black. In comparison, 18 percent of Minneapolis residents are Black. Findings on the race/ethnicity of people receiving citations were not feasible due to the lack of public data.

“Even though we could not track race and ethnicity with citations, we got a fairly clear picture with the arrest data. We were particularly surprised by the amount of juveniles, many of them youth of color, that were wrapped up in arrests that started with a minor bike infraction,” project manager Melody Hoffmann said.

Utilizing interactive and static maps, the report also shows where the MPD gives out the majority of bicycle citations and the most common bicycle-related infractions. Recommendations for the MPD and local bicycle advocacy organizations are included in the report.

The primary authors of the report, Melody Hoffmann and Anneka Kmiecik, will present the report findings and take questions on Oct. 18 at Hope Community. Seating is limited for the event, and media should contact Laura Kling (laura@mplsbike.org, 612-888-4528) to reserve space.